What’s popping in science & tech?
Endless? Not quite. Google defines limits on Gemini
Only very recently, we learned what usage limits were actually placed on Gemini at the various tiers. No more guesswork with vague “limited access” disclaimers and the like.
Google has at last updated its Help Center article detailing “Gemini Apps limits & upgrades for Google AI subscribers.” But hold on to your wallets.
That means, up to 100 images per day and 5 prompts per day for free, compared to the 1000 images per day and the 500 prompts per day with ‘Google AI Ultra’. (Screenshot attached above & reviews below).
Back from the dead: WMR headsets revived with Oasis Driver on Steam
Microsoft pulled the plug on Windows Mixed Reality (WMR) last year, turning those headsets into nothing more than expensive paperweights, but now? They’re back from the dead.
An Xbox engineer, Matthieu Bucchianeri (who worked on WMR headsets), just dropped a lifeline called the ‘Oasis Driver for Windows Mixed Reality’ on Steam. Essentially, you can ditch the clunky Mixed Reality Portal and jump straight into SteamVR.
Read: Europe’s most valuable AI startup secures €1.7bn with ASML as lead investor
The driver plays nice with both OpenVR and OpenXR apps, meaning your old WMR headset isn’t just a relic anymore—it’s a working ticket back into VR.
The Steam community has been testing the Oasis Driver out, and from the 73 reviews already there, the overall reviews are ‘Mostly Positive’ up till now.
“Dad, why does the frog have six legs?”
The people over at OpenAI have decided to do away with animators and rely on their AI models to make a full-length animated film: Critterz.
Why deal with those pesky humans with their ‘work-life balance’ and their ‘basic needs’ when you can (almost) remove them from the equation?
I say almost because Chad Nelson, the man behind the project, has stated that the animals will be based on sketches that will be provided by people to the AI, and the script and voiceovers will also be done by humans.
So, unfortunately for the OpenAI folks, they will have to deal with people for a little while longer, until they come out with fully functioning androids (so not too long).
Look Mom, I’m on Mars!
Whatsapp now lets you generate any custom AI background you could want for your video calls. This is not a new feature, Zoom, and Google Meet, have this feature. But it adds some quality of life to the most used messaging service in the world.
Before you could only use a few basic, boring preset backgrounds, but with this update, you can add a purple dog eating chicken tikka in the background if you want.
Or have your next family call from the surface of the moon.
Read more: OpenAI to invest $10bn in developing its own AI chips
Of course, this is beneficial to people who are worried about their privacy, or the presentation of their environment. You can use simple gradients, solid colors, or even blur your background entirely.
But we used the feature to tell our editor that we’re at the beach today. Whatever you think about it, at least it’s free (looking at you, Snapchat).
Is Google Photos + Veo a good match?
Google’s ‘best’ video-generation model, Veo 3 is on Google Photos now. But the question is: does this even matter to the average user?
The new model, available on the mobile app’s Create tab, will allow users in the US to turn their still images into short video clips. Google Photos already offers video generation through its recently added “Photo to video” feature, but Google claims Veo 3 enhances that functionality with higher-quality videos.
But how significant is the difference? And what about all the Google Photos users outside of the US?
“Hey Lens: Imagine… Dragons”
So Snapchat’s unveiled their newest cash grab feature: the Imagine Lens. With this, you can create AI images with text prompts, letting you dream up whatever wacky, zany scenario you want to put yourself in. Make you a cowboy? Done. Riding a dragon? You got it.
Also read: Chinese tech giants pursue Nvidia AI chips despite Beijing’s warning
But as with any good or even halfway mediocre thing these days, it’s paywalled behind either a Snapchat + platinum or Lens+ subscription, meaning you have to cough up $9USD a month if you want to spice up your streaks.
Only time can tell if people will use this feature regularly, or if they’ll remember it exists while swiping through the options.
